Winner of The USA Literary Golden Seal Award! – Be who you are and say what you feel; because those who mind don’t matter; and those who matter, don’t mind! – Dr. Seuss – Writer, Cartoonist and Animator

Take care of -The needy-The disabled-Those whose hard earned income isinsufficient to meet their needs-And those whose businesses have stalled -And those who have lost their jobs. [The Holy Quraan 4/36]

We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools – Martin Luther King

Never play with the feelings of others because you may win the game but the risk is that you will surely lose the person for a life time – Shakespeare.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong –Mahatma Gandhi

It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone! – Dr. Abdul Kaleem

A – The Prisoners.

My late Father always used to say to us that there is neither age limit nor ending to learning things in life. Even in death – he says – when you have to lie down on your right side only – and facing The Kaaba in Mecca as Believers! That is as far as individual respectful last rites and burial are concerned – and not in mass graves as we have seen lately!

Images – Loans Taking – For Demonstration Purposes Only!

I was watching this Al Jazeera film that tells the story of some Arab and Palestinian prisoners who were detained in Israeli jails – and how they had to adapt to a new life after their release.

The Israelis dehumanify to them that sometimes they feel death is even preferable. The same people that suffered from The Holocaust!

Upon release, the prisoners faced a number of difficulties adjusting to a new life of freedom – albeit within an occupied territory. They explain their mixed feelings to the change in society – and in the political landscape – which they experienced upon being released from the day-to-day monotony of prison life.

Beyond The Walls contains beautifully-filmed interviews and novel graphics to provide a moving portrait of the interviewees and the emotions and feelings they are describing.

One of the Palestinian is seen to remark – Nothing is harsher than imprisonment. It’s the cruellest form of torture.”

Another one still says – Life in prison is free of hypocrisy…. We had nothing to lose. We were ready to face anything. Almost all of us were sentenced to life imprisonment. I felt like a stranger in the ‘outside world’ for a long time…. I felt a new life was ahead of me.

The part that really was an eye-opener to me at least was when he said – I felt like a stranger among my family and friends. It was distressing. I couldn’t sleep. I was in a constant state of anxiety. I was in better intellectual and social harmony with my fellow detainees – than with the people outside!

Images – Heavy in Debt!

A person well known to me and an ex peer tells me almost the very same things! He said to me – M, do you know that there are more crooks and hypocrites outside jail – than those really inside jail? That includes even family, relatives and friends! You for sure can trust your fellow-inmate – than the person outside! When I asked him point blank what he thought of me – he just could not stop laughing. I guess the answer is too in that laugh!

B – Being in Heavy Debts

One of the nicest advertisements that I have seen this Holy Month of Fasting is in one of The UAE Television channels that demonstrate how easy to get into (heavy) debts – and the repercussions not only on the individual – but the family members involved too. The message and theme is not to go for a lavish life style that can only spell dangers and troubles ahead – and losing of your own personal freedom and movement.

Image – Home Foreclosed!

The message and theme is good – but it looks only at one side of the story – but not addressing the lack of compassion, feeling, consideration and kindness from those ‘after their money’ – even if they cannot draw blood out from a stone!

Image – Home Lost!

When I was working in Abu Dhabi a well intentioned and well meaning citizen was remarking to me about the Tale of The Cities – when the Lender was allowed to take his ‘pound of flesh’ so long as he did not draw out any blood. The man was teasing me that if it was a local tale instead – there would be no such prohibitive and restricting measures. I tried hard to laugh along with him – though inside was all hurting and painful from real tests in life!

When it comes to money – some people – if not many of the people – are rigid, harsh, hard and cruel to their own defaulting – even if beyond their control and power – and are not in a state to pay back – even if they wished to do so! . An European CEO was telling me that with recent lump in real estate and other businesses in our parts of our world – life will not be the same ever again in all fronts business and otherwise – though pretenses, facades and empty shows still continue on the surface as ‘nothing has changed much’ now!

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah – PBUH – had said: – Whosoever gives respite to a borrower who is in difficulty or forgives him altogether, Allah Most High will Give him refuge under the shadow of His thrown on the Day when there will be no other shadow. (Tirmidhi 1306)

Also in the Holy Quraan – If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time till it is easy for him to repay. But if you remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if you only knew.” (Surah al-Baqarah – verse 280)

This is one topic that I have written intensively about. Frankly and honestly, a lot of people seem to think that with the advent of Islamic Banking – but you will excuse me for being cynical and unbelieving – but with a few rare exceptions– I do not think things will change that much on the grounds! Even long serving prisoners dare tell us the very same things!

C – The Jobless.

She worked for over 30 years but now because of the economic downturn – she has lost her job. Now unemployed for the first time in her life – she is staying in a shelter home for the unemployed and the needy. She says to the Al Jazeera TV Team in her home town in California – For a person used to helping others – the most difficult part for me is to ask for help for myself!

D – The Hungry and The Starving Lots.

Over 235 million are suffering from partial starvation – one meal a day at best – if not going without – though the country (India) can produce enough food to feed all her people. The problem is in the distribution system – where wheat lies rotting in some stores – instead of feeding the poor hungry and the needy! Recent events have been there too of the Electricity distribution where over 670 million had electricity disruptions.

E – Warplanes and Tanks.

If the enemy was doing it – there would have been an uproar. But it is the country doing it to its own people. Bombs cannot distinguish between who is loyal and who is not – especially if they are living in the same town. The scared and frightened cannot ever imagine that this might is now being used against them!

What more can I say now?

May Allah God Protect and Preserve us all from His anger and fury – Amin Amen